


My Big Fat Italian Dinner

by SteelLily



Series: Professors Carter and Martinelli [2]
Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Teachers, F/F, Meeting the Parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-24
Updated: 2015-04-24
Packaged: 2018-03-25 14:33:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3814090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SteelLily/pseuds/SteelLily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's time to meet the parents...and brothers...and cousins...and grandparents. Oh my!</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Big Fat Italian Dinner

“If you are not ready to leave in literally five minutes, I swear to God, I’m dragging you out of this apartment no matter what shape you’re in, you hear me, Margaret?” Angie shouted from the kitchen.

She was nursing her second glass of wine to try to drown her nerves. Peggy simply sighed from the bathroom. She knew that Angie was projecting her fear onto her so she let all the commentary roll off her back. Peggy wiped the edge of her lip with the tip of her fingernail, creating a crisp line. She bared her teeth into the mirror, checking for smudges. Her hair hung loose over her shoulders. Peggy ran her hands down the front of her black pencil skirt then picked stray pieces of lint from her deep purple sweater. She clicked off the light and moved to the living room. “Jesus, English, it took you…” Angie let out a low whistle, “Worth it. I take it all back.”

The corner of Peggy’s lip lifted along with her eyebrow and she winked at Angie. Peggy sat down on the couch and slipped on her heels. “My brothers are gonna be so damn jealous,” Angie grinned.

“I’m trying to make your parents like me, my darling, not make your brothers envious,” Peggy sighed, “Is it too much?”

“God no!” Angie shouted then laughed at herself, “I feel a little underdressed now. It’s just a family meal. Not like we’re goin’ somewhere fancy.”

“I should change…” Peggy stood to return to her bedroom.

“Don’t you dare,” Angie jumped up and blocked her path, “You look beautiful. I can’t wait to show ya off.”

Peggy nervously straightened the collar of Angie’s button up blouse before running her hands down the gray vest Angie wore. Peggy smiled, Angie looked a bit like a modern day Katherine Hepburn. She had told her as much when she walked in and Angie had grinned like a cat with cream. “Okay,” Peggy sighed, “I’d kiss you but I don’t want to mess up your make-up. Let’s go.”

Angie took hold of Peggy’s hand and they walked toward the door. The pair shrugged on their jackets and turned off the lights before grabbing their purses from the table by the door. Peggy shut the door behind them and checked the lock. They descended the stairs together. Miss Fry sat behind the front desk, wearing her standard scowl. She was squinting out the front door and barely noticed Angie and Peggy as they wished her good evening. She nodded and muttered something about loose women and impropriety. Angie and Peggy just exchanged sighs and pushed the doors open to the still arctic February air. The sun was starting to sink, painting the sky in reds and pinks. “Oh!” Dottie gasped from next to the front door.

Peggy turned toward the sound and suppressed a giggle as a very red faced man wiped Dottie’s red lipstick from his lips. Angie waggled her eyebrows, “You move on quick, Iowa.”

The man cleared his throat and limped over toward them while Dottie cleared her throat. “Daniel Sousa,” he smiled and extended his hand toward them.

“Peggy,” she said as she shook his hand solidly.

When he turned his attention to Angie, Peggy hid behind his shoulder and gave Dottie an exaggerated thumbs up and wink. She cleared her throat and resettled next to Angie by the time his gaze hovered back to her. Dottie laughed behind him as Peggy smiled brightly. “Daniel, we would just love to stay and chat,” Peggy gushed, “But we are, unfortunately, nearly running late for dinner.”

“Well, I sure hope we’ll have the chance to speak again sometime,” he smiled sweetly, “It was lovely to meet you ladies.”

Angie and Peggy linked arms and left Dottie and Daniel to resume kissing like school children. Angie let loose a snort once they were out of earshot. “They are stupidly adorable.”

Peggy peeked over her shoulder and nodded, “Yeah, they are.”

They jogged, as best as heels would allow them, to the subway entrance. They swiped their passes and descended into the belly of the station. Hopping a series of trains, they arrived twenty minutes later in Brooklyn. “Shit!” Peggy stopped in the middle of the street and cursed.

“What?” Angie asked.

“I forgot the wine. I was going to bring your mother a bottle. Goddamn it. I don’t have a gift. I need to have a gift. Where’s a shop? At least flowers, Angie,” mild panic tinged Peggy’s words the longer she rambled.

Angie walked back to her and placed her hands on Peggy’s shoulders, “Take a deep breath. We’re not stopping. The house is less than half a block from here. The best compliment you could give my mother is by eating multiple plates of food.”

Peggy sighed and scanned the streets around them for a hole in the wall shop. Angie placed her hands on Peggy’s cheeks and turned her face back. “Listen to my words, English. Eat my mother’s food and compliment it passionately. That’s all ya gotta do. Ma’s not the one ya need to worry about.”

Peggy’s eyes widened and Angie started pulling her in the direction of her family’s row house. “Wait, what do you mean?” she asked as she raced up to Angie’s side, “Who do I need to worry about?”

Angie took a deep breath and walked up the steps. She raised her hand to knock but the door flew open before she made contact. “Ma! They’re here!” a man shouted over his shoulder.

“Hey Frankie,” Angie smiled and he pulled her into a hug and swung her around into the foyer.

Peggy stared, wide eyed. Angie laughed and slugged the man in the arm, “Long time no see, ya goon.”

Frankie turned his attention back to a very intimidated looking Peggy and let out a low whistle. “Je-sus, Angie. Nice work,” he grinned which earned him another slug in the shoulder.

“Be polite, Frank,” Angie barked and peeled off her coat, “And for god’s sake, move so she can get in.”

Frankie stepped aside, a charming smile planted firmly across his face. He offered Peggy his hand to help her inside and took her jacket when she pushed it off her shoulders. Angie stood with her arms crossed over her chest, glaring at Frankie who made no attempt to hide his approval of Peggy. He finally tore his eyes away and hung Peggy’s jacket next to Angie’s on the rack. “La donna è bella, sis,” he patted Angie on the shoulder as he passed.

“Sorry Peg,” Angie whispered to her, “He’s the worst of my brothers, I promise. Tony and Marco are much tamer. Gino should be here…aaand my grandparents.”

Peggy’s eyes widened when they entered the large living room filled with people. “Oh sweet Jesus, what have I gotten myself into?” she muttered to herself behind a smile.

“Nonna! Pop!” Angie beamed and wrapped her arms around her grandparents.

Peggy could not help but smile at how happy Angie looked and how beautiful it made her. Angie’s mother appeared at Peggy’s side. The short woman stood next to her, stirring a bowl. She laughed and nudged Peggy’s shoulder, “Mia figlia è una di questi bambini.”

Peggy scrunched her eyebrows and opened her mouth, Angie also had not prepared her for the amount of Italian that would be spoken. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Martinelli,” she sighed.

“Ah, it’s no problem. I said my daughter is such a child,” she repeated with a smile.

Peggy laughed, “Yes. She certainly can be.”

“From the look on your face, she did not prepare you for this, eh?” the woman continued.

“No. I feel woefully underprepared. I even forgot the bottle of wine I bought for you. I’m so sorry. I fear I’m making a terrible first impression,” Peggy apologized profusely.

“Sciocchezza…nonsense. Besides, I’m not the one you need to worry about impressing tonight. Nonna’s who you need to get to warm to you,” she nodded at the old woman Angie sat next to, “Angie loves her nonna and she loves her Angie.”

“Mrs. Martinelli, does she know about Angie? Should I just be her friend around Nonna? May I call her Nonna? I assume that’s a nickname,” Peggy wrung her hands and wiped her sweaty palms on the sides of her skirt.

“Come help me in the kitchen. This dough for the cannoli is ready to be shaped,” Mrs. Martinelli turned and left the living room.

Peggy cast a final glance at Angie who rested her head on her grandmother’s shoulder. She smiled and followed Mrs. Martinelli into the kitchen. Gino was dipping his finger into a large pot on the stove. Mrs. Martinelli stomped toward him, shouting, “Smettila, hands off Gino. Help or get out.”

“Hey English,” Gino winked and wrapped Peggy in a hug.

“Hello, Gino,” she replied, patting him on the shoulder, “Lovely to see you again.”

Gino snorted, “She’s gonna drown tonight if you don’t get her to loosen up. Where’s the vino?”

A man who looked much like Frankie but younger jumped off the counter and filled a glass then handed it to Peggy. “I’m Marco,” he smiled and nodded at a boy a little younger than Angie in the corner, “That’s Tony. Frankie already came through telling us all about your…” Marco blushed, “I’m sorry he’s the first of us you had to meet. He’s a bit of a hound dog.”

Peggy snickered and took a giant swig of the wine. “Yes!” Gino shouted, “That’s the ticket.”

Peggy smiled and took a deep breath, “Okay, what can I do to help,” she pushed up the sleeves of her sweater.

"Si, si, bella,” Mama Martinelli called over the dull roar in the kitchen, “Put this on and come over here.”

She tossed Peggy an apron which she quickly pulled over her neck and tied the waist. She pulled a hair tie off her wrist and wrapped her hair into a bun. Peggy took another swig of the wine and cracked her knuckles. “Okay, I’m ready to learn.”

Angie looked up from talking to her grandparents to where Peggy had been standing. She was not there and a brief sense of panic started to grow in her stomach. Angie looked around the room and noticed it had cleared out and a ruckus was growing in the kitchen. Angie’s eyes narrowed and Frankie jogged through, “Your girlfriend just challenged Gino to a cannoli filling contest. I got twenty bucks on her. It’s a safe bet, yeah?” he laughed and went back through to the kitchen.

A crease formed between Angie’s eyebrows. She helped her grandparents stand and they followed her into the kitchen. Angie stifled a giggle at Peggy. Peggy took the last swig of wine from her glass and wiped flour all across her brow. Her hair was slowly falling out of the loose bun at the back of her head. The white apron tied around her waist was almost more than Angie could bear. She feared, in that moment, that her heart might actually burst. Her mother finished dividing the cannoli pastries between Peggy and Gino and gave one final instruction to Peggy on technique. Peggy nodded vigorously, never taking her eyes off Gino. Papa Martinelli stood between the two of them, holding a towel. “All bets are final. No one else can put money in. The battle of Peggy “Union Jack” Carter versus Gino “the Giant” Martinelli will commence in tre, due, uno inizio!” he waved the towel between them.

Gino picked up the nearest pastry, filled it and moved down the line. Angie sighed, Peggy had no shot. Her technique was the total opposite. She started with the furthest cannoli. Gino was already on his fifth when Peggy finished her third. Angie watched the determination on Peggy’s face. Her tongue protruded slightly in concentration. She remained two behind Gino most of the way. Angie caught movement out of the corner of her eye and watched her mother sidle up beside Gino. She cleared her throat and nodded at Angie’s father who came up on the other side of Gino. Gino glanced to both sides. “What are you doing?” he asked as he squeezed ricotta mix into the pastry.

Mama and Papa Martinelli simply smiled innocently at Gino. He picked up the next cannoli and noticed it. “Aw come on, that’s cheating!” he tossed his empty plastic bag down and searched frantically for another.

“It’s not cheating. I’m always telling you, less filling in the cannolis, you stuff them as full as your belly,” Mama Martinelli laughed as she patted his stomach.

Peggy grinned and redoubled her efforts. Gino found another bag of mix and resumed filling. The damage had been done though and Peggy pulled ahead by four pastries. “DONE!” she shouted and laid down her bag.

The room erupted in shouts of joy and defeat. Peggy smirked at Gino and reached around to her refilled wine glass and toasted him for the competition. He smiled at her and nodded her victory. Nonna patted Angie on the shoulder then wrapped her aged hand around Angie’s waist, “Approvo lei, nipote,” her grandmother whispered.

Tears caught in Angie’s throat, “Really, nonna? You like her?”

“Si bella.”

Angie smiled brightly and caught Peggy’s eyes. Angie mouthed over her grandmother’s shoulder, “I love you.”

Peggy returned the smile and blew her a kiss.


End file.
